Figuring out the smartest places to store your stuff is time well spent—mostly because it results in time you don't spend cleaning. Here are 10 smart storage solutions for your excess cords, shoes, spices, and all kinds of computer stuff.

10. Make Your Shoes Float

Formal shoes, work boots, summer wear, running shoes, the spare brown pair—even those with minimal fashion sense can end up with lots of these suckers. You could pick up one of many hanging/sliding shoe storage solutions, but we dig both the look and convenience of this DIY "floating" shoe rack. For a slight upgrade, This version goes one better, hiding the hanging hardware entirely out of sight. (Original posts: one, two).

Last year we shared a clever hack for turning a Stolmen storage pole into a compact and…
Read more Read more

7. Make Your Filing Cabinet Actually Useful

If your filing cabinet serves more function as unintended shelf space than an actual filing destination, it probably needs some work. Gina showed us her extreme filing cabinet makeover, touching on the physical changes she made to make paper shuffling more convenient. Jason gave us a tour-de-force of his filing system workflow, which gave order and purpose to his old documents and made him actually want to file things away. Photo by Matthew Cornell.

Collaborative DIY web site Instructables aims to make your earbuds tangle-free with a step-by-step…
Read more Read more

4. Stash Your Peripherals When Not in Use

USB headsets, USB cables, and other sometimes necessary gear will creep its way into your workspace if there's nowhere to put it all. MAKE points us to a DIY iMac monitor shelf, utilizing the space between a flatscreen monitor and a wall to tuck away items so they're within reach but out of sight. There's also a commercial version, if you don't like building your own mini-shelves. This Slashdot thread contains the thoughts of some very hardcore peripheral geeks on tidying up their wares (think velcro ties, not plastic zips), and our featured workspaces have provided some inspiration before, like these hollowed out shelves, or this IKEA cabinet-turned-workspace. (Original posts: monitor shelf, IKEA cabinet).